Misplaced Pages

#913086

45-432: The City Spectacular opened in 2006 and takes place over three days in mid-June. Organized by Mark Duckenfield and Conor McCarthy, who started Emergent Events to organize this festival. Starting with an initial crowd of over 26,000 in 2006, and 40,000 in 2007, the growing crowds can consider this a runaway success. In 2011 the event went through some unexpected changes when its main sponsor terminated their contract leaving

90-479: A brief time, then quickly disperses, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, and/or artistic expression. Flash mobs may be organized via telecommunications , social media , or viral emails . The term, coined in 2003, is generally not applied to events and performances organized for the purposes of politics (such as protests), commercial advertisement , publicity stunts that involve public relation firms, or paid professionals. In these cases of

135-460: A bus trip. Wasik claimed that he created flash mobs as a social experiment designed to poke fun at hippies and to highlight the cultural atmosphere of conformity and of wanting to be an insider or part of "the next big thing". The Vancouver Sun wrote, "It may have backfired on him ... [Wasik] may instead have ended up giving conformity a vehicle that allowed it to appear nonconforming." In another interview he said "the mobs started as

180-556: A food court, and said, 'Hey, we should do that, except as a robbery!' More likely, they stumbled on the simple realization (like I did back in 2003, but like lots of other people had before and have since) that one consequence of all this technology is that you can coordinate a ton of people to show up in the same place at the same time. These kids are taking part in what's basically a meme . They heard about it from friends, and probably saw it on YouTube, and now they're getting their chance to participate in it themselves. HuffPost raised

225-402: A hugely celebrated event for the people of Dublin , Portlaoise and Cork City . Families from all over Ireland attend the event every year for its death defying performers, balloon artists, food venders and art installations. It is run entirely by local volunteers. Flash mob A flash mob (or flashmob ) is a group of people that assembles suddenly in a public place, performs for

270-419: A kind of playful social experiment meant to encourage spontaneity and big gatherings to temporarily take over commercial and public areas simply to show that they could". In 19th-century Tasmania , the term flash mob was used to describe a subculture consisting of female prisoners, based on the term flash language for the jargon that these women used. The 19th-century Australian term flash mob referred to

315-483: A lifestyle hotel operator for $ 125 million, with up to an additional $ 175 million over the next six years as properties come into the pipeline and open. Dream Hotels Group's portfolio include 12 managed or franchised lifestyle hotels under four brands. In April 2023, Hyatt acquired Mr and Mrs Smith, a UK-based platform offering direct booking access to over 1,500 boutique and luxury properties worldwide for £53.0 million in cash consideration. In June 2024, Hyatt acquired

360-761: A motel near Los Angeles International Airport . In 1957, the hotel was purchased by entrepreneur Jay Pritzker for US$ 2.2 million . His younger brother, Donald Pritzker , also took on an important role in the company. Considering the growing use of air travel for business, the Pritzker brothers realized that locating a high-quality hotel near a major airport was a valuable business strategy. Within two years, they opened Hyatt House Hotels near San Francisco International Airport and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport . The company went public in 1962 as Hyatt Corporation. It had two divisions: Hyatt House Hotels and Hyatt Chalet Motels (renamed Hyatt Lodges in 1966). In 1967,

405-412: A number of acquisitions, including the acquisition of AmeriSuites (later rebranded Hyatt Place) in 2004, Summerfield Suites (later rebranded Hyatt House) in 2005, Two Roads Hospitality in 2018, Apple Leisure Group in 2021, Dream Hotel Group in 2023 and Standard International in 2024. The first Hyatt House was opened in 1954 by business partners Hyatt Robert von Dehn and Jack Dyer Crouch as

450-426: A planned purpose for the social activity in question, the term smart mobs is often applied instead. The term " flash rob " or "flash mob robberies", a reference to the way flash mobs assemble, has been used to describe a number of robberies and assaults perpetrated suddenly by groups of teenage youth. Bill Wasik , originator of the first flash mobs, and a number of other commentators have questioned or objected to

495-470: A prime location for illegal activities (such as pickpocketing and looting) to take place. Lev Grossman suggests that the story title is a source of the term "flash mob". Flash mobs began as a form of performance art . While they started as an apolitical act, flash mobs may share superficial similarities to political demonstrations . In the 1960s, groups such as the Yippies used street theatre to expose

SECTION 10

#1732791879914

540-531: A sales assistant was advised to say that the gatherers lived together in a warehouse on the outskirts of New York, that they were shopping for a "love rug", and that they made all their purchase decisions as a group. Subsequently, 200 people flooded the lobby and mezzanine of the Hyatt hotel in synchronized applause for about 15 seconds, and a shoe boutique in SoHo was invaded by participants pretending to be tourists on

585-399: A segment of society, not an event, and showed no other similarities to the modern term flash mob or the events it describes. In 1973, the story " Flash Crowd " by Larry Niven described a concept similar to flash mobs. With the invention of popular and very inexpensive teleportation , an argument at a shopping mall—which happens to be covered by a news crew—quickly swells into a riot. In

630-493: A series of acquisitions, especially in the lifestyle and resort segments. Today, Hyatt categorizes its brands under four categories: timeless collection (containing Hyatt's classic brands), boundless collection (lifestyle brands), independent collection (soft-branded independent properties) and inclusive collection (all-inclusive hotels). Timeless Collection houses Hyatt's signature hotel brands, including: Boundless Collection houses Hyatt's lifestyle hotel brands. Following

675-497: Is one of the businesses managed by the Pritzker family . Hyatt has more than 1350 hotels and all-inclusive properties in 69 countries, across South America, North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia The Hyatt Corporation came into being upon purchase of the Hyatt House, at Los Angeles International Airport , on September 27, 1957. In 1969, Hyatt began expanding internationally. Hyatt has expanded its footprint through

720-593: Is positioned as a luxury brand, with the first hotel being a rebrand of the Great Eastern Hotel in London , followed by hotels in San Diego , West Hollywood , Shanghai and New York City . In August 2009, it was reported that Hyatt Hotels Corporation filed plans to raise up to $ 1.15 billion in an initial share sale. That November Hyatt completed an initial public offering and began trading publicly on

765-511: The Blackstone Group , a New York -based private equity investment firm. Blackstone had inherited AmeriSuites from its 2004 acquisition of Prime Hospitality. The AmeriSuites chain was rebranded and called Hyatt Place, a competitor to the limited-service products Marriott International 's Courtyard by Marriott and Hilton Worldwide 's Hilton Garden Inn . In December 2005, Hyatt acquired limited service company Summerfield Suites from

810-912: The JdV by Hyatt brand. In 2024, Hyatt purchased the Me And All Hotels brand from Lindner. Hyatt operates a loyalty program called World of Hyatt , which replaced Gold Passport on March 1, 2017. This program includes membership tiers of base members, Discoverists, Explorists, and Globalists. The program offers Hyatt members benefits such as room upgrades and complimentary breakfast, based on how many nights they stayed in Hyatt-affiliated hotels or how much they spend in Hyatt properties. Fortune magazine ranked Hyatt #32 on its list of "America's Best Companies to Work For" in 2019, rising to #16 in 2021. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has awarded

855-811: The Joie de Vivre , Destination , Alila , and Thompson hotel brands to the Hyatt portfolio, a growth of 85 hotels in 23 markets. In March 2021, Hyatt announced the official opening of Hyatt's 1,000th hotel worldwide, Alila Napa Valley in St. Helena, California. In August 2021, Hyatt acquired Apple Leisure Group  (ALG), a luxury resort-management services, travel and hospitality group, from affiliates of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and KSL Capital Partners for $ 2.7 billion in cash. ALG's hotel portfolio consists of over 33,000 rooms operating in 10 countries. The acquisition will extend Hyatt's brand footprint into 11 more European markets. In November 2022, Hyatt acquired Dream Hotels Group ,

900-1078: The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol H. According to the filing Mark S. Hoplamazian was to serve as CEO and Thomas Pritzker as Executive Chairman . The public offering was a result of the acrimonious breakup of the Pritzker family empire. Accused of looting family trusts, Thomas and cousins Penny and Nicholas took control of the family businesses when they and other family members were sued by cousin Liesel Pritzker , claiming fraud and seeking damages of over US$ 6 billion. On September 1, 2011, Hyatt acquired Hotel Sierra, which had 18 properties in 10 states. Along with Hyatt Summerfield Suites hotels, several of these properties were rebranded as Hyatt house in January 2012. In November 2013, Hyatt introduced their first all-inclusive resort brands, Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara, with

945-644: The Occupy Movement stating, "As the use of social media increases, the potential for more flash mobs that are used for political protest and for criminal purposes is likely to increase.". Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Corporation , commonly known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts , is an American multinational hospitality company headquartered in the Riverside Plaza area of Chicago that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels , resorts , and vacation properties. Hyatt Hotels & Resorts

SECTION 20

#1732791879914

990-526: The Blackstone Group. Blackstone had inherited Summerfield Suites from its purchase of Wyndham International . In January 2012, Hyatt Summerfield Suites were rebranded as Hyatt House in 2012 to compete in the "upscale extended stay market" against Residence Inn , Homewood Suites, and Staybridge Suites. Hyatt launched its first lifestyle brand, Andaz, in April 2007. Hindi for the word 'style', Andaz

1035-583: The Grand Hyatt and Park Hyatt brands to its portfolio. In 1995, Hyatt entered the vacation ownership market. Hyatt introduced the Hyatt Place brand, designed as a limited service offering for business travelers, in 2006. Hyatt House was Hyatt's first select-service property, catering primarily to travelers with long-term stays and at a more economical price point. Since then, Hyatt has added a wide range of other brands either through organic growth or via

1080-529: The Internet and then quickly assemble in a public place, do something bizarre, and disperse." This definition is consistent with the original use of the term; however, both news media and promoters have subsequently used the term to refer to any form of smart mob, including political protests; a collaborative Internet denial of service attack; a collaborative supercomputing demonstration; and promotional appearances by pop musicians. The press has also used

1125-1001: The United States. It would soon become a separate company. In 1969, Hyatt opened its first international hotel, when it was awarded the management contract for the President Hotel in Hong Kong, which was renamed the Hong Kong Hyatt Hotel (later known as the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong). In 1972, Hyatt formed Elsinore Corporation, a subsidiary to operate the Four Queens Hotel and Casino and the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino. Donald Pritzker died in 1972 and Jay Pritzker continued to run

1170-525: The World, which allowed World of Hyatt members to earn and redeem points during their stays at participating SLH properties. The partnership has since ceased in 2024 following Hyatt's acquisition of Mr & Mrs Smith, a direct booking platform of luxury hotels. In 2022, Hyatt entered into an exclusive collaboration agreement with Lindner Hotels AG, a German hotel operator, in bringing more than 30 hotels across seven European countries into Hyatt's portfolio under

1215-990: The acquisition of Standard Hotels announced in August 2024, Hyatt will form a dedicated lifestyle group led by Standard International's Executive Chairman Amar Lalvani overseeing all lifestyle hotel operations. Current brands in the portfolio include: Independent Collection houses Hyatt's soft brands of independent hotels, including: Formerly AMR Collection and AMResorts of Apple Leisure Group , Inclusive Collection houses Hyatt's all-inclusive resort brands following its 2021 acquisition of ALG . Brands include: In 2013, Hyatt partnered with MGM Resorts International in bringing 12 MGM properties in Las Vegas to Hyatt booking channels, as well as in-depth collaborations with each other's loyalty program. The partnership ended in 2023 when MGM partnered with Marriott International instead. In 2018, Hyatt began partnering with Small Luxury Hotels of

1260-666: The boutique Park Hyatt brand was also introduced. The Pritzkers took Hyatt International private as well, in 1982. However, Hyatt and Hyatt International remained two separate companies until June 2004, when substantially all of the hospitality assets owned by the Pritzker family business interests, including Hyatt Corporation and Hyatt International Corporation, were consolidated under a single entity called Global Hyatt Corp. On June 30, 2009, Global Hyatt Corporation changed its name to Hyatt Hotels Corporation. In December 2004, Hyatt Hotels Corporation acquired AmeriSuites , an upscale chain of all-suite business class hotels from affiliates of

1305-606: The company opened the Regency Hyatt House in Atlanta, Georgia (today named the Hyatt Regency Atlanta ). The futuristic hotel was designed by Atlanta architect John Portman , who would go on to design many other hotels for the chain. It featured a massive indoor atrium, which soon became a distinctive feature of many Hyatt properties. In 1968, Hyatt International was formed, to operate hotels outside

1350-685: The company. Hyatt became a private company in 1979, when the Pritzkers bought the outstanding shares. Elsinore was spun off as a public company. The company opened the Playboy Hotel and Casino as a joint venture with Playboy Enterprises . Alongside the Hyatt Regency brand, the company introduced the Grand Hyatt brand in 1980, with the opening of the Grand Hyatt New York (now Hyatt Grand Central). That same year,

1395-542: The event there were various promotions for the world record attempt including a flash mob in the Dublin City Centre and news paper publications along with a huge amount of networking on Facebook and Twitter. On the weekend of June 18 and 19 the world Record was broken outside Merrion Square in Dublin City with a staggering amount of "Wally's" big and small gathered on Merrion Square West. The same record

City Spectacular - Misplaced Pages Continue

1440-450: The festival organisers with nowhere near the funding needed to run the event. To raise the money needed the organisers decided on a World Record Attempt and set off to gather the world's largest collection of real life Where's Wallys (AKA Where's Waldo ). The money needed for the event would be raised through costume sales from stalls all over the park with a large percentage of the money raised going to Africa Aware . Over many weeks prior to

1485-480: The first resorts being opened in Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and Rose Hall, Montego Bay, Jamaica. On October 28, 2015, Hyatt announced that they were in advanced talks to acquire Starwood Hotels in a cash and stock transaction. The transaction was not completed, and Starwood was acquired by Marriott International instead. In 2018, Hyatt saw expansion with the acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality. This added

1530-418: The first successful flash mob, which occurred on June 17, 2003, at Macy's department store, by sending participants to preliminary staging areas—in four Manhattan bars—where they received further instructions about the ultimate event and location just before the event began. More than 130 people converged upon the ninth-floor rug department of the store, gathering around an expensive rug. Anyone approached by

1575-443: The me and all hotels brand from Lindner Hotels AG, for which Hyatt has entered into a strategic collaboration with in 2022, consisting of six lifestyle hotels and over 1,000 rooms in central city locations across Germany. In August 2024, Hyatt announced the planned acquisition of Standard International , an upscale boutique hotel operator, for $ 150 million, with up to an additional $ 185 million over time as additional properties enter

1620-474: The media, crimes organized by teenage youth using social media rose to international notoriety beginning in 2011. The National Retail Federation does not classify these crimes as "flash mobs" but rather "multiple offender crimes" that utilize "flash mob tactics". In a report, the NRF noted, "multiple offender crimes tend to involve groups or gangs of juveniles who already know each other, which does not earn them

1665-535: The portfolio. The acquisition consists of 21 open hotels and more than 30 future properties under The Standard, Bunkhouse Hotels, Peri Hotels, The StandardX, and The Manner brands. With the transaction, Hyatt will form a new dedicated lifestyle group, managing all lifestyle brands and operations led by Standard International's Executive Chairman Amar Lalvani. Hyatt-branded properties have traditionally catered to upscale or business customers; its properties were either full-service or boutique hotels. In 1980, Hyatt added

1710-432: The public to political issues. Flash mobs can be seen as a specialized form of smart mob , a term and concept proposed by author Howard Rheingold in his 2002 book Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution . The first documented use of the term flash mob as it is understood today was in 2003 in a blog entry posted in the aftermath of Wasik's event. The term was inspired by the earlier term smart mob . Flash mob

1755-449: The question asking if "the media was responsible for stirring things up", and added that in some cases the local authorities did not confirm the use of social media making the "use of the term flash mob questionable". Amanda Walgrove wrote that criminals involved in such activities do not refer to themselves as "flash mobs", but that this use of the term is nonetheless appropriate. Dr. Linda Kiltz drew similar parallels between flash robs and

1800-420: The story, broadcast coverage attracts the attention of other people, who use the widely available technology of the teleportation booth to swarm first that event—thus intensifying the riot—and then other events as they happen. Commenting on the social impact of such mobs, one character (articulating the police view) says, "We call them flash crowds, and we watch for them." In related short stories, they are named as

1845-760: The term flash mob to refer to a practice in China where groups of shoppers arrange online to meet at a store in order to drive a collective bargain. The city of Braunschweig (Brunswick), Germany, has stopped flash mobs by strictly enforcing the already existing law of requiring a permit to use any public space for an event. In the United Kingdom, a number of flash mobs have been stopped over concerns for public health and safety. The British Transport Police have urged flash mob organizers to "refrain from holding such events at railway stations". Referred to as flash robs , flash mob robberies , or flash robberies by

City Spectacular - Misplaced Pages Continue

1890-561: The term 'flash mob'." Mark Leary, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University , said that most "flash mob thuggery" involves crimes of violence that are otherwise ordinary, but are perpetrated suddenly by large, organized groups of people: "What social media adds is the ability to recruit such a large group of people, that individuals who would not rob a store or riot on their own feel freer to misbehave without being identified." It's hard for me to believe that these kids saw some YouTube video of people Christmas caroling in

1935-472: The usage of "flash mob" to describe criminal acts. Flash mob has also been featured in some Hollywood movie series, such as Step Up . The first flash mobs were created in Manhattan in 2003, by Bill Wasik , senior editor of Harper's Magazine . The first attempt was unsuccessful after the targeted retail store was tipped off about the plan for people to gather. Wasik avoided such problems during

1980-518: Was added to the 11th edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary on July 8, 2004, where it noted it as an "unusual and pointless act" separating it from other forms of smart mobs such as types of performance, protests, and other gatherings. Also recognized noun derivatives are flash mobber and flash mobbing. Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English defines flash mob as "a group of people who organize on

2025-545: Was attempted in both Cork City and Portlaoise on June 12 but partially due to heavy rain neither managed to accumulate the same numbers as their Dublin counterparts. Since 2012, Laya Healthcare has sponsored the City Spectacular. The competition is free to attend and runs for three days. Performers from all over the world travel to Ireland to compete for the coveted title of The laya healthcare Street Performance World Champion. The Competition has grown to become

#913086